Sunday, April 11, 2010

A though on relapse

A thought on relapse…

Sometimes when a person relapses, he is full of shame, doubt and despair. He believes that he has let his family down yet again andhe may not even feel that he is worthy of picking up the pieces and starting all over. The implication is that losing focus of a commitment means the person has defective values.

The question that may be asked is: have your values changed? Do you still want to be the best father to your children? The best spouse to your partner? The best son to your parents?

For most people the answer is “no, my values have not changed; yes, I still want to be ____________ “.(Fill in the blank with your values.)

Dr. Stephen Hayes, a practitioner of Action and Commitment Therapy uses the metaphor of a person driving west. If you get sidetracked, you can still turn the car around. Any time. If you were planning to drive from the east to the west coast and your mind was telling you that the car will break down, the road will be closed ahead, or that you will fall asleep at the wheel and get in a wreck, could you continue to drive west? If west is where you want to go, get in the car and start driving.

About Me

The Coleman Institute, the Advanced Center for Addiction Treatment, is recognized as one of the most successful and innovative outpatient accelerated detox centers for addiction treatment in the country with 10 offices in the U.S.
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